Metering valve for aerosol dispenser

ABSTRACT

A metering valve for aerosol dispensers having a pair of valves within a valve housing, one controlling access from the valve housing to the bore of an exterior valve stem, and the other controlling access of the contents of the container from the interior of the latter to the valve housing; a spring urging the first valve to closed position and the second valve to open position; and means responsive to manipulation of the valve stem successively to move the second valve to closed position and the first valve to open position, the spring returning the valves to their original condition in reverse order when said manipulation of the valve stem is discontinued.

United States Patent 1 1 l 111 3,907,176 Harris 1 Sept. 23, 1975 [54]NIETERING VALVE FOR AEROSOL 3.464.569 9/1969 Meshberg 222/4022 DISPENSER3.520.450 7/1970 Prussin et a1. 222/4()2."2 X 3.540.635 11/1970 Prussinet al. 222/402 21 [76] Inventor: Arthur M. Harris, 135 Southwood3.547.147 12/1970 2 Rd.. Fairlield. Conn. 06430 3.618.833 11/1971 2 [22]Filed: Oct. 11, 1972 Appl. No.: 296,514

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 69249. Sept.3. 1970.

[52] US. Cl. ZZZ/402.22 [51] Int. Cl B65d 83/14 [58] Field of Search222/4022. 402.21 402.22.

Primary E.\'aminerAllen N. Knowles Assistant E.\'aminerNorman L. Stack.Jr. Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Walter G. Hensel [57] ABSTRACT A meteringvalve for aerosol dispensers having a pair of valves within a valvehousing. one controlling access from the valve housing to the bore of anexterior valve stem, and the other controlling access of the contents ofthe container from the interior of the latter to the valve housing; aspring urging the first valve to closed position and the second valve toopen position; and means responsive to manipulation of the valve stemsuccessively to move the second valve to closed position and the firstvalve to open position. the spring returning the valves to theiroriginal condition in reverse order when said manipulation of the valvestem is discontinued.

12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures US Patent Sept. 23,1975 3,907,176

INVENTOR. 5 I ARTHUR M. HARRIS ATTORNEY METERING VALVE FOR AEROSOLDISPENSER This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 69,249, filedSept. 3, 1970.

This invention relates to a metering valve for pressurized aerosoldispensers, of which the contents normally include a liquid or finelydivided solid to be dispensed in the form of a spray, and as apropellant therefor, a liquified normally gaseous organic compoundusually a low boiling fluorinated or chlorofluorinated low molecularweight hydrocarbon. This mixture (solution, emulsion or suspension) isretained in a pressure resistant container of sheet metal or the likeunder the vapor pressure generated by the propellant at roomtemperature. When released through a nozzle to the atmosphere, thepropellant vaporizes and the material to be dispensed is ejected fromthe nozzle in the form of a fine spray.

In order to provide metering action, it is necessary to admit a limitedquantity of the liquid pressurized contents of the container into aseparate chamber within the chamber, communicating with the exteriorthrough an exteriorly operable valve controlling access to the spraynozzle access of the liquid contents of the container to said separatechamber being closed off during release of the pressurized liquidcontained therein through the nozzle. Following closure of the valvecontrolling access to the nozzle, the liquid contents of the aforesaidseparate chamber is replenished from the interior of the container.Thus, emission from the dispenser for a single operation of the spraynozzlecontrolling valve is limited to the quantity of pressurized liquidcoontained in the aforesaid separate chamber.

It is an object of this invention to provide a metering valve assemblyfor an aerosol container having few parts which are of simple design andeconomical to manufacture, which reliably operate to release a meteredquantity of the pressurize contents of the aerosol dispenser and whichreliably replenish the quantity to be released for the next operationwhen the current operation is discontinued.

These objects are attained in accordance with this invention byproviding a metering valve assembly adapted to be mounted and enclosedbycrimping or the like in a valve socket at the upper end of apressurized aerosol container of sheet metal or the like, having a pairof valves, one of which controls access from a chamber formed within thevalve housing to the bore of a valve stem extending through an aperturein the top of the container, and terminating in a spray nozzle. Thesecond valve controls access from a clip tube, of which the lower end isimmersed in the liquid contents of the aerosol dispenser, to theaforesaid chamber. Resilient means especially a spring normally urgesthe first valve to closed position and the second valve to openposition. When the valve stem is manipulated e.g., by tilting ordepressing, the spring yields to permit the second valve to close andthen to open the first valve, releasing the liquid contents of theaforesaid chamber through the valve stem and nozzle to the atmosphere.When said manipulation of the valve stem is released, the pressure ofthe spring closes the first valve and then opens the second valve,permitting liquid from the interior of the container to enter theaforesaid chamber through the dip tube, ready to be released upon thenext manipulation of the valve stem.

My invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription of a number of specific embodiments thereof, which areillustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a view mainlyin axial cross section of a metering valve assembly in accordance withthis invention, mounted in the valve socket of an aerosol dispenser theassembly being in normal inoperative condition.

FIG. 1A is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the same valve assembly but inposition to release a metered quantity of the contents of the aerosolcontainer.

FIG. 2 is a view mainly in axial cross section of an alternative form ofmetering valve assembly in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 3 is also a view mainly in axial cross section of a secondalternative form of metering valve assembly in accordance with theinvention.

FIG. 4 is a detail in perspective of the spring included in the assemblyshownin FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view mainly in axial cross section of still a thirdalternative form of metering valve assembly in accordance with theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the spring included in the valve assembly ofFIG. 5.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a metering valve assembly in accordance withthis invention is mounted in the valve socket of a pressure-resistantaerosol container 10 of sheet metal or the like, the socket having agenerally flat circular top 11 with a central aperture 12, and includinga valve seat 13 of resiliently yielding material such as rubber mountedagainst the inner wall of the top 11, and provided with a centralaperture 14 of a diameter smaller than that of aperture 12 and inregistry therewith. A valve disc 15 of substantially rigid materialhaving a tubular valve stem 16 integral therewith is normally positionedagainst the inner surface of valve seat 13 with the valve stem 16extending outward through apertures 12 and 14 of the valve socket andvalve seat, and provided with a conventional spray nozzle at its outerend as shown. The central bore 17 of the valve stem 16 terminatesadjacent the valve disc 15, and is connected at this point with a numberof radial ports 18 extending to the outer surface of the valve stem at aportion 19 thereof of reduced diamter adjacent the valve disc, and ofsuch length and diameter that the inner wall and edges of the aperture14 in the valve seat fit therein the inner wall of said aperturenormally covering radial ports 18.

The valve seat 13 is peripherally clamped against the top 11 of thevalve socket by a valve housing 20 of substantially rigid material,having a lower tubular portion 21 with a bore 22 adapted to be connectedat its lower end to a conventional dip tube 23 which extends downwardwithin the container 10 such that its lower end is immersed in thepressurized liquid within the container. The upper end of the valvehousing 20 is of larger diameter, conforming with that of the interiorof the valve socket, and is provided with a counterbore 24 of largerdiameter than that of valve disc 15 but smaller than that of valve seat13, such that its upper edge 25 is adapted to clamp the peripheralportion of valve seat 13 in sealing contact with the top 11 of the valvesocket. Such clamping action is provided by an annular shoulder 26formed in the side wall of the container 10 by crimping or the like,supporting an annular shoulder 27 at the base of the upper portion ofthe valve housing.

and a height such that the upper (preferably rounded) surface thereofengages the base of valve disc when the latter is positioned in sealingcontact with the valve seat 13, while at the same time, the base of saidupper end 31 extends a short distance into the upper end of bore 22 andthe lower end of stem 29 extends through the aperture of annular ridge28. Within the annular space 32 between said annular ridge 28 and theannular shoulder 33 at the base of the upper end 31 of the mushroomvalve member, there is provided a helical spring 34 normally urging themushroom valve member 30 and the contiguous valve disc 15 upward, suchthat the latter is held in sealing contact with valve seat 13.

The upper end 31 of mushroom valve member 30 has one or more verticalgrooves 35 in its peripheral surface, providing permanently openpassages from space 32 to the interior of counterbore 24 of valvehousing 20. At its lower end the outer surface of stem 29 of themushroom valve member is provided with one or more vertical grooves 36extending upward to a point slightly above annular ridge 28 so as toprovide a passage from the dip tube 23 to annular space 32 and thus,through grooves 35 to the interior of counterbore 24 when the valve disc15 is seated in sealing contact with valve seat 13.

When the valve stem 16 is tilted by manual pressure applied to its upperend bearing the spray nozzle, valve disc 15 integral therewith tiltsdownward as shown in 'FIG. 1A, forcing mushroom valve member 30 downwardagainst the resistance of spring 34, and closing the passage throughgrooves 36 by movement of the upper ends of these grooves downwardbeyond the upper surface of annular ridge 28. Such closure occurs inaccordance with the invention, while valve disc 15 still engages valveseat 13 to seal off ports 18 of the valve stem 16 from the space withinthe valve housing 20. As further tilting of the valve stem proceeds, oneside of valve disc 15 moves out of sealing contact with valve seat 13,while the inner wall of aperture 14 in the valve seat moves out ofcontact of one or more of radial ports 18, and thus, a passage 37 isopened from the interior of the counterbore 24 annular space 32communicating therewith through grooves 35, to the bore 17 of valve stem16. The pressurized liquid contents of the dispenser within spaces 24and 32 within valve housing is thereby released through said passage tothe nozzle in an amount metered by the volume of the interior space ofthe valve housing.

When the valve stem 16 is released, the spring 34, bearing againstshoulder 33 at the upper end of the mushroom valve member urges thelatter together with contiguous valve disc 15 upward until the latterresumes sealing contact with the valve seat 13 in the position shown inFIG. 1. After such sealing contact is re-established, final upwardmovement of mushroom valve member 30 under the influence of spring 34against the cushion effect of valve seat 14 brings the upper ends ofgrooves 36 above the upper surface of annular ridge 28 thus re-opcning apassage from dip tube 23 to bore 22, annular space 32, and throughgrooves to the counterbore 24. The pressurized liquid within thecontainer 10 rises through the dip tube and the aforesaid passages intospaces 24 and 32 in metered amount determined by their volume. When thevalve assembly is again operated by tilting valve stem 16, the meteredamount of aerosol contents are released through valve stem 16 and thenozzle at its outer end.

FIG. 2 illustrates a valve assembly in accordance with the invention,involving a variation in the construction of the valve mechanismconstituted in FIG. 1 by mushroom valve member 30, its cooperating bore22, annular ridge 28 and spring 34. In this construction, the valvehousing 20' has a counterbore 24' generally similar to counterbore 24 ofFIG. 1, having however a central bore 32 extending downward a shortdistance from the base of counterbore 24 and communicating with asmaller axial passage 22' in a depending tubular portion 21' of thevalve housing 20, to which a dip tube 23 is connected. In thisconstruction, the shoulder 38 at the junction of the bore 32' and thebase of the counterbore 24 is formed as a concave spherical surfaceadapted to serve as a valve seat for a spherical valve member 39. Thelatter is adapted, when seated against the spherical surface 38 to closeoff the bore 32 from counterbore 24, and is moved to such sealingposition by downward tilting of valve disc 15 to the position shown inFIG. 1A. When the valve disc returns to the position shown in FIG. 2,sufficient clearance exists between the valve member 39 and itsspherical valve seat to permit the pressurized aerosol contents of thecontainer to pass upward through dip tube 23', passage 22 and bore 32'into the counterbore 24' of the valve housing. If desired, a helicalspring 34 may be provided in the bore 32' urging the spherical valvemember 39 upward into contact with valve disc 15. The latter may beprovided advantageously with a shallow central spherical depressionconforming with the shape of said valve member.

FIGS. 3 and 5 illustrate alternative forms of springs cooperating withspherical valve member 39 to maintain it in contact with the valve discl5 the springs employed in these constructions being shownrespectivelyin FIGS. 4 and 6.

In FIG. 3, the valve housing 20" has in its base, a peripheral annulargroove 40 serving as a supporting surface for a spring 41, shown indetail in FIG. 4. This spring has a centrally apertured circular disc orannulus 42 with a plurality of downwardly inclined outwardly extendingresilient legs 43 the outer ends of which are supported spider-like uponthe bottom of groove 40, the spherical valve member 39 being supportedby the edges of the aperture in disc 42 in contact with valve disc 15when the latter is in sealing contact with valve seat 14. When the valvestem 16 is tilted, the valve member 39 and its support are depressedwhile legs 43 yield resiliently, until a seal is formed with sphericalvalve seat 38 followed, upon further tilting of the valve disc 15 byopening of the passage 37 to the valve stem bore 17 and the nozzle.

In FIG. 5, the valve spring differs from that of FIG. 3 in that its legs43 are radial rather than downwardly inclined, and are supported on anannular shoulder 44 at the base of the valve housing. Otherwise,operation is similar to that of the construction shown in FIG. 3.

Variations anclmodifications which will be obvious to those skilled inthe art can be made in the specific embodiments hereinabovedescribedwithout departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

I claim l 1.' A metering valve assembly-for pressurized aerosoldispensers having, within a valv'e housing, a pair of valves, onecontrolling access from the valve housing to the bore of an exteriorlyextending ;valve stem and the other controlling access'of thepressurized contents of the dispenser from the interior of theJatter tothe valve housing; means resiliently urging thefirst valve to closedposition and the second valve to 'open position; and means responsive tolateral pressure upon the exteriorly extending portion of said valve'stemtotilt the latter relative to its axis, first to move'the second ofsaid valves to closed position andvth'ereafter to move the first of saidvalves to open position, said resiliently urging means returning thevalves to their original condition in the reverse order when saidlateral pressure ceases.

2. A metering valve assembly as defined in claim 1, having an annularvalve seat surrounding an aperture in the valve housing of a pressurizedaerosol dispenser; a valve member adapted to form -a seal with said.valve seat and said aperture in the valve housing, compressing anannular shoulder on said stem engaging the outer surface of the valve"seat to form a seal therewith, and a lateral port in said stemconnecting with the bore thereof spaced from said annular shoulder andfrom'th'e inner surface of said valve seat so'that said valve memher,'when engaging said valve seat, closes the passage from the interior ofthe dispenser through said lateral port and stem bore, and when thevalve'me'mber is tilted, a passage is opened between the valve memberand valve seat to said lateral port and stem bore; a second valve memberwithin said 'housing'a'nd valve means cooperating therewith to close offa passage from said container to said valve housing; a valve springnormally urging said'second valve member out of valveclosing relationwith said valve means and said first valve member into sealing relationwith its valve seat, said second valve member moving, against the forceof said valve spring upon tilting of said first valve member togetherwith its stem, to valve closing contact with said valve means beforesaid passage opens from the valve housing to said lateral port and stembore, and disengaging said valve means to open a passage to said valvehousing from the interior of said dispenser after reengagement of thefirst valve member with its valve seat, responsive to said valve spring,when tilting of the stem and its associated valve member ceases.

3. The metering valve assembly defined in claim 2, wherein said secondvalve member has a cylindrical stem with a port at its inner endcooperating with an annular ridge at the base of the valve housing toclose said port when said valve member is depressed to move the portbeyond the upper surface of said ridge, an upper end of larger diameterengaging the wall of the valve housing to guide movement of said valvemember in axial direction, and an annular shoulder at the base of saidupper end, said valve spring bearing upon said annular ridge and annularshoulder to urge said second valve member against the first valve memberto hold the latter in sealing relation with its valve seat and to opensaid port between the interior of said dispenser and the valve housing,and to close said port in advance of the opening of the passage from thevalve housing to said lateral port of said stern,

4. A valve assembly for a pressurized container, comprising, incombination: l

- a, an annular valve seat of resiliently yielding mate- 5 b. a firstvalve means comprising a disc' having an upper surface engageable andadapted to form-a seal with said valve seat, r

c. a tubular valve stem on said valve disc; extending through anaperture in said valve se'at, the bore of said stem terminating 'at thevalve disc and communicating at said terminal with at least one lateralport, each of said ports being normally in sealing contact with theperipherally surrounding surface of said aperture in the valve seat; d.a'valve housing secured at its upper end in sealing contact with saidvalve seat and connected at its lower end with a dip tube, said housinghaving biasing meansengageable with the under side of said valve disc ata peripheral portion of the disc and constituting a support "therefor toposition said valve disc yieldably against said valve seat,

e. tilting'of said valve disc downward against said biasing meansopening a passage for the contents of said pressurized container,successively, first from the interior of said valve housing between saidvalve disc and the valve seat, and second, between the peripheralsurface of said aperture in the valve seat and the valve stem, to atleast one of said lateral ports at the base of said valve stem, and thusto the central bore of the latter, and l f. a second valve means in thehousing including a 'second'valve seat at a lower portion of thehousingand a valve member adapted to form a seal therwith, forcontrolling flow into the housing through the dip tube, said secondvalve being closed upon tilting of said valve disc prior to opening ofsaid passage from the interior of said valve housing to the bore of saidvalve stem, and being re-opened after re-closure of said passage wh enthe valve disc is returned to non-tilted'position.

5. A metering valve assembly for pressurized aerosol dispensers having,within a valve housing, a pair of valves, one controlling access fromthe valve housing to the bore of an exteriorly extending valve stem, andthe other controlling access of the pressurized contents of thedispenser from the interior of the latter to the valve housing, saidfirst-named valve having an annular valve seat surrounding an aperturein the valve housing of the dispenser and a valve member having anannular shoulder adapted to form a seal with said valve seat and saidaperture in the valve housing, and further comprising a lateral port insaid stem communicating with the bore thereof, spaced from said annularshoulder and from the inner surface of said valve seat, so that saidvalve member when engaging said valve seat closes the passage from theinterior of the valve housing through said lateral port and stem boreand when the valve member is tilted, a passage is opened between thevalve housing and said lateral port and stem bore; said second valvemember comprising a ball and valve means cooperating therewith to closeoff a passage from said container to said valve housing; a valve springnormally urging said ball out of sealing contact with said valve meansand against the first-named valve member to hold the latter in sealingcontact with its valve seat, said ball moving, against the force of saidvalve spring upon tilting of said first-named valve member together withthe valve stem to valve-closing contact with said valve means beforesaid passage opens from the valve housing to said lateral port and stembore, and disengaging said valve means to open a passage to said valvehousing from the interior of said pressurized dispenser afterreengagement of the first-named valve member with its valve seat whentilting of the valve stem and its associated valve member ceases.

6. The invention as defined in claim wherein said valve spring is anannulus having a central aperture supporting said ball, and resilientperipheral projections supported on an annular shoulder within theinterior of the valve housing.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein the peripheralprojections on said annulus extend therefrom toward said annularshoulder at an acute angle outwardly relative to the axis of saidannulus.

8. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said valve spring is aresilient helix resting upon an annular shoulder below the valve seat,within the passage from the interior of said dispenser to said valvehousing.

9. A valve assembly for a pressurized container, comprising, incombination:

a. an annular valve seat of resiliently yielding material,

b. a first valve means comprising a disc having an upper surfaceengageable and adapted to form a seal with said valve seat,

c. a tubular valve stem on said valve disc, extending through anaperture in said valve seat, the bore of said stern terminating at thevalve disc and communicating at said terminal with at least one lateralport, each of said ports being normally in sealing contact with theperipherally surrounding surface of said aperture in the valve seat,

d. a valve housing secured at its upper end in sealing contact with saidvalve seat and connected at its lower end with a dip tube, said housinghaving biasing means engageable with the under side of said valve discat a peripheral portion of the disc and constituting a support thereforto position said valve disc yieldably against said valve seat,

e. tilting of said valve disc downward against said biasing meansopening a passage for the contents of said pressurized container,successively, first from the interior of said valve housing between saidvalve disc and the valve seat, and second, between the peripheralsurface of said aperture in the valve seat and the valve stem, to atleast one of said lateral ports at the base of said valve stem, and thusto the central bore of the latter, and

f. a second valve means in the housing including a second valve seat ata lower portion of the housing and a ball adapted to form a sealtherewith for controlling the flow into the housing through the diptube, said ball being urged by said biasing means out of sealing contactwith said second valve seat and againstsaid valve disc to hold thelatter in contact with its valve seat, said second valve means beingclosed upon tilting of said valve disc prior to opening of said passagefrom the interior of said valve housing to the bore of said valve stem,and being re-opened after re-closure of said passage when the valve discis returned to non-tilted position.

10. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said biasing meanscomprises an annulus having a central aperture supporting said ball, andresilient peripheral projections supported on an annular shoulder withinthe interior of the valve housing.

1 l. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein the peripheralprojections on said annulus extend at an acute angle outwardly relativeto the axis of the valve disc.

12. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said biasing meanscomprises a resilient helix resting upon an annular shoulder locatedbelow said ball and within the passage leading from the interior of saiddispenser into said valve housing.

1. A metering valve assembly for pressurized aerosol dispensers having,within a valve housing, a pair of valves, one controlling access fromthe valve housing to the bore of an exteriorly extending valve stem andthe other controlling access of the pressurized contents of thedispenser from the interior of the latter to the valvE housing; meansresiliently urging the first valve to closed position and the secondvalve to open position; and means responsive to lateral pressure uponthe exteriorly extending portion of said valve stem to tilt the latterrelative to its axis, first to move the second of said valves to closedposition and thereafter to move the first of said valves to openposition, said resiliently urging means returning the valves to theiroriginal condition in the reverse order when said lateral pressureceases.
 2. A metering valve assembly as defined in claim 1, having anannular valve seat surrounding an aperture in the valve housing of apressurized aerosol dispenser; a valve member adapted to form a sealwith said valve seat and said aperture in the valve housing, compressingan annular shoulder on said stem engaging the outer surface of the valveseat to form a seal therewith, and a lateral port in said stemconnecting with the bore thereof spaced from said annular shoulder andfrom the inner surface of said valve seat so that said valve member,when engaging said valve seat, closes the passage from the interior ofthe dispenser through said lateral port and stem bore, and when thevalve member is tilted, a passage is opened between the valve member andvalve seat to said lateral port and stem bore; a second valve memberwithin said housing and valve means cooperating therewith to close off apassage from said container to said valve housing; a valve springnormally urging said second valve member out of valveclosing relationwith said valve means and said first valve member into sealing relationwith its valve seat, said second valve member moving, against the forceof said valve spring upon tilting of said first valve member togetherwith its stem, to valve closing contact with said valve means beforesaid passage opens from the valve housing to said lateral port and stembore, and disengaging said valve means to open a passage to said valvehousing from the interior of said dispenser after re-engagement of thefirst valve member with its valve seat, responsive to said valve spring,when tilting of the stem and its associated valve member ceases.
 3. Themetering valve assembly defined in claim 2, wherein said second valvemember has a cylindrical stem with a port at its inner end cooperatingwith an annular ridge at the base of the valve housing to close saidport when said valve member is depressed to move the port beyond theupper surface of said ridge, an upper end of larger diameter engagingthe wall of the valve housing to guide movement of said valve member inaxial direction, and an annular shoulder at the base of said upper end,said valve spring bearing upon said annular ridge and annular shoulderto urge said second valve member against the first valve member to holdthe latter in sealing relation with its valve seat and to open said portbetween the interior of said dispenser and the valve housing, and toclose said port in advance of the opening of the passage from the valvehousing to said lateral port of said stem,
 4. A valve assembly for apressurized container, comprising, in combination: a. an annular valveseat of resiliently yielding material, b. a first valve means comprisinga disc having an upper surface engageable and adapted to form a sealwith said valve seat, c. a tubular valve stem on said valve disc,extending through an aperture in said valve seat, the bore of said stemterminating at the valve disc and communicating at said terminal with atleast one lateral port, each of said ports being normally in sealingcontact with the peripherally surrounding surface of said aperture inthe valve seat. d. a valve housing secured at its upper end in sealingcontact with said valve seat and connected at its lower end with a diptube, said housing having biasing means engageable with the under sideof said valve disc at a peripheral portion of the disc and constitutinga support therefor to position said valve disc yieldably againsT saidvalve seat, e. tilting of said valve disc downward against said biasingmeans opening a passage for the contents of said pressurized container,successively, first from the interior of said valve housing between saidvalve disc and the valve seat, and second, between the peripheralsurface of said aperture in the valve seat and the valve stem, to atleast one of said lateral ports at the base of said valve stem, and thusto the central bore of the latter, and f. a second valve means in thehousing including a second valve seat at a lower portion of the housingand a valve member adapted to form a seal therwith, for controlling flowinto the housing through the dip tube, said second valve being closedupon tilting of said valve disc prior to opening of said passage fromthe interior of said valve housing to the bore of said valve stem, andbeing re-opened after re-closure of said passage when the valve disc isreturned to non-tilted position.
 5. A metering valve assembly forpressurized aerosol dispensers having, within a valve housing, a pair ofvalves, one controlling access from the valve housing to the bore of anexteriorly extending valve stem, and the other controlling access of thepressurized contents of the dispenser from the interior of the latter tothe valve housing, said first-named valve having an annular valve seatsurrounding an aperture in the valve housing of the dispenser and avalve member having an annular shoulder adapted to form a seal with saidvalve seat and said aperture in the valve housing, and furthercomprising a lateral port in said stem communicating with the borethereof, spaced from said annular shoulder and from the inner surface ofsaid valve seat, so that said valve member when engaging said valve seatcloses the passage from the interior of the valve housing through saidlateral port and stem bore and when the valve member is tilted, apassage is opened between the valve housing and said lateral port andstem bore; said second valve member comprising a ball and valve meanscooperating therewith to close off a passage from said container to saidvalve housing; a valve spring normally urging said ball out of sealingcontact with said valve means and against the first-named valve memberto hold the latter in sealing contact with its valve seat, said ballmoving, against the force of said valve spring upon tilting of saidfirst-named valve member together with the valve stem to valve-closingcontact with said valve means before said passage opens from the valvehousing to said lateral port and stem bore, and disengaging said valvemeans to open a passage to said valve housing from the interior of saidpressurized dispenser after re-engagement of the first-named valvemember with its valve seat when tilting of the valve stem and itsassociated valve member ceases.
 6. The invention as defined in claim 5wherein said valve spring is an annulus having a central aperturesupporting said ball, and resilient peripheral projections supported onan annular shoulder within the interior of the valve housing.
 7. Theinvention as defined in claim 6 wherein the peripheral projections onsaid annulus extend therefrom toward said annular shoulder at an acuteangle outwardly relative to the axis of said annulus.
 8. The inventionas defined in claim 5 wherein said valve spring is a resilient helixresting upon an annular shoulder below the valve seat, within thepassage from the interior of said dispenser to said valve housing.
 9. Avalve assembly for a pressurized container, comprising, in combination:a. an annular valve seat of resiliently yielding material, b. a firstvalve means comprising a disc having an upper surface engageable andadapted to form a seal with said valve seat, c. a tubular valve stem onsaid valve disc, extending through an aperture in said valve seat, thebore of said stem terminating at the valve disc and communicating atsaid terminal with at least one lateral port, each of said pOrts beingnormally in sealing contact with the peripherally surrounding surface ofsaid aperture in the valve seat, d. a valve housing secured at its upperend in sealing contact with said valve seat and connected at its lowerend with a dip tube, said housing having biasing means engageable withthe under side of said valve disc at a peripheral portion of the discand constituting a support therefor to position said valve discyieldably against said valve seat, e. tilting of said valve discdownward against said biasing means opening a passage for the contentsof said pressurized container, successively, first from the interior ofsaid valve housing between said valve disc and the valve seat, andsecond, between the peripheral surface of said aperture in the valveseat and the valve stem, to at least one of said lateral ports at thebase of said valve stem, and thus to the central bore of the latter, andf. a second valve means in the housing including a second valve seat ata lower portion of the housing and a ball adapted to form a sealtherewith for controlling the flow into the housing through the diptube, said ball being urged by said biasing means out of sealing contactwith said second valve seat and against said valve disc to hold thelatter in contact with its valve seat, said second valve means beingclosed upon tilting of said valve disc prior to opening of said passagefrom the interior of said valve housing to the bore of said valve stem,and being re-opened after re-closure of said passage when the valve discis returned to non-tilted position.
 10. The invention as defined inclaim 9 wherein said biasing means comprises an annulus having a centralaperture supporting said ball, and resilient peripheral projectionssupported on an annular shoulder within the interior of the valvehousing.
 11. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein the peripheralprojections on said annulus extend at an acute angle outwardly relativeto the axis of the valve disc.
 12. The invention as defined in claim 9wherein said biasing means comprises a resilient helix resting upon anannular shoulder located below said ball and within the passage leadingfrom the interior of said dispenser into said valve housing.